We accept students enrolled in:
- Bachelor's - 3rd or 4th year
- Master's
- PhD
The Program is managed by the International Affairs Office in collaboration with the Vice-Presidency for Research.
Applications are filed using the online application platform, which you can access here (choose "Exchange Programs / Exchange Programs / Research Program for International Talents").
Before beginning the online application, please prepare the following documents:
- Approval by your home institution
Applicants must obtain approval from their home institution and must ensure that their student status will be maintained for the duration of their stay. The template for this document is available here. This document is mandatory.
- Detailed résumé
- Statement of purpose in French or in English (including research subjects you are interested in, and why you are qualified for these subjects)
- Official transcripts of records including full details of all university-level courses (scanned copies)
- Contact details for two referring professors, who will be contacted automatically by the application platform.
- Scanned copy of your passport
It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that he/she has the required language skills in English or French. No language certificate is required.
The selection procedure is done according to the following calendar:
- November 2023: Research subjects are published
- End of November 2023: Applications open
- January 10th 2024: Nomination deadline for partner universities
- January 17th 2024: Application deadline
- Beginning of March 2024: Announcement of admission results
The research program may begin in June/July of the program year at the earliest and end by December 31st of the same year at the latest.
Please note that application dates will be updated in November.
Each year in October, the International Affairs Office collects the research subjects from the laboratories for the following year. The research subjects are then published at the end of November on the website. Partner institutions are informed of the opening of the application session.
Applications that have been pre-selected by partner institutions will be given priority. To find out if your institution is a partner of the program, please contact the international relations or mobility office of your institution.
If your application is part of an existing collaboration with an Ecole Polytechnique researcher or laboratory, please indicate this clearly in your cover letter and choose the subject code SSDS.
Applicants should indicate a maximum of three research topics of interest for which they meet the criteria of level and profile, ranked in order of preference.
Between the end of January and the end of February, the applications are evaluated by a committee composed of representatives from the International Affairs Office and Directorate for Academic Affairs and Research. The selection criteria are based on the applicant's academic profile and motivation. More precise criteria of level or academic prerequisites are communicated in each subject description. The committee reserves the right to accept or reject an application. Candidates may be contacted by the supervisors for interviews at a distance or by email.
Accepted applicants will be informed by email at the beginning of March and finalize the details of their stay at l’X with our support (visa, fellowship, exact dates and duration of stay).
The research program is intended for international students. You may be asked to provide a school certificate including the period of the research to validate your admission. If you are in your final year of study, please provide us with a certificate proving that you have been admitted to the next year at your home university.